Page 41 of Dr. Do-Right
I’d practiced many, many times what I’d say to my parents when I finally confronted them. I had versions where I was crying, wheretheywere crying, where we were angry or sad or quietly accepting of each other. Right now, I liked the calm, convicted version.
“When you’re ready to talk again without belittling me and the people I love, I’d be open to discussing ways we can still have arelationship. You, me, and Dad, if he’s willing. But I’m done with this now. I’m not interested in being your daughter, if it means feeling like shit every time we speak to each other.”
“Marija Sanchez!” She was gearing up for the mother of all lectures. I could feel it. I stared up at the ceiling. The fan spun lazily, doing nothing to cool my heated skin.
“Mom, aren’t you tired?” I whispered, willing my voice to stay steady, just for a little longer. Just until this was over and I could process it without her seething on the other end of the phone. “Because I’m so tired. I’ve never been the person you wanted me to be, and it’s taken its toll.”
“Marija…” She sighed, her voice softening by a degree. I blinked away the tears forming at the corners of my eyes. I was going to be strong, dammit. I needed space and she needed to hear this.
“It hurts so much. Every time you say something about my clothes or my job or my friends. I can’t even get a haircut without you commenting on it. Like the whole reputation of this family rests on the state of my split ends. It’s exhausting. And I’m not doing it anymore. Especially when you drag the people I love into this. I’ve taken so much from you and dad for so long, but I draw the line at them.
“Sonia and Malachi are good people. The best people. And there isn’t just someone ‘gunning for him,’ Mom. There is a person who is trying to kill us. Right now. You haven’t once asked me if I’m alright, or offered to come see me or help or doanything.”
“I…well, I’m sure the security people have it well in hand…”
“They do. Because Malachi made sure of it. He’s made sure I was okay. And he managed to do it without insulting every aspect of my life.” Alright, well, that sounded a little bitter. Maybe my calm approach had reached its limit. The anger ofyears and years of quiet, snide little cuts was bubbling to the surface.
“Mija, we only want what’s best for you,” she started. I interrupted again. Damn, if only past Rija could see me now. I never would have believed it. Then again, there were a lot of things happening right now I was still having trouble wrapping my mind around.
“What’s best is that I’m happy. I’ve never understood why you were so against me just…being happy…” A choked breath hitched in my throat. Hot tears rolled down my temples. The fan spun slowly on.
“Marija…” I didn’t even recognize Mom’s voice now. She had never sounded so quiet or unsure. Not that I could remember. It didn’t matter. I’d said my piece, and she’d either respect it or she wouldn’t.
“Like I said, I think we should take some time before speaking again. Tell Dad, too. If you’re ready to speak to me without tearing me down, we’ll talk.”
“Marija! Wait, just, could you please….text us with updates about the…stalker?” She whispered the last, like she couldn’t bear to say the word out loud. “I suppose I didn’t realize how serious it was.”
My heart wrenched. I wasn’t sure if that was a good idea, or if going completely no contact was best right now. I had a lot going on and they’d made my life miserable for so long and…and they were still my family. What if this was the wake-up call they’d needed? Weallhad needed?
I sighed. No matter how strong or mean or spiteful I wanted to be, I figured there would always be a small part of me that still wanted their approval. Still wantedthem.
I was going to have to call Dr. Peterson again soon.
“I’ll let you know when I’m safe. Goodbye, Mom.” I hung up before she could get another word in edgewise. I dropped myphone somewhere to the right of my head, expecting it to erupt in angry vibrations as my mother called back.
It was silent on the white cotton duvet. More tears leaked into my hairline.
“I know it’s only nine a.m., but is it too early to go back to bed?”
My head jerked up at the sound of Mal’s voice. He was standing against the closed door to our room, looking at me with velvet soft eyes. My heart sank.
Chapter 13
“How much of that did you hear?” I croaked, sitting up and swiping at my face. I frantically replayed the conversation with my mother in my head. I’d said a lot of things, but what, specifically, had I said about Mal?
That I’d moved in with him. That I loved him. He was my future.Ah, fuck.I wanted to tell him those things myself, at the right time. Not when there was a crazy stalker on the loose trying to ruin his career. Not because he’d overheard me talking to my mother, of all people.
“Enough to be completely awed by you,” he answered, already padding across the floor towards me. “You were so strong, Ri, standing up to her like that. I’ve never been more proud of you.”
One second I was sitting on the duvet, the next, my ass was planted in his lap while he held me in the most tender embrace I’d ever felt. My eyes prickled again, but for a different reason.
“You’re proud of me?” I squeaked. Malachi’s hand swept across my face, coming away wet with my tears. He dropped kisses across my other cheek. The way he was holding me made me want to stay here forever.
“So proud. Ridiculously proud. It’s hard to set boundaries like that with close family, but I knew you could do it, Ri. I knew it.” He nuzzled the side of my neck. My eyes closed, and I curled myself deeper into him. I hadn’t stopped crying yet, and my heart was still hammering in my ears. Run-ins with my mother always left me shaky, but this was helping. A lot.
“Apparently, I just needed the right motivation to cut her loose.”
It wasn’t the first time we’d talked about this, he and I. It was Mal’s occupational hazard: getting up close and personal with someone else’s life shit. Talking to them about it. Asking questions. Digging deeper.
